504 The Astronomer. 



He told us that the sun was round. 



And made a monstrous blaze, 

 Whereat his hearers, all agog, 



Sat speechless in amaze. 



But when he said the moon had seas, 



And many a hill and river, 

 They took him for a conjuror, 



And their hair began to stiver.* 



A signal next the speaker made, 



And up they drew a curtain, 

 It seemed a flannel petticoat, 



But of this one can't be certain. 



Oh what a grisly ring was there 



Of brutes with aspect sour, 

 You would have thought the beasts had 'scaped 



Their dungeons in the Tower. 



The Ram was like a Guernsey cow, 

 Which the Bull came trotting after, 



Driven by the Twins, two savage boys. 

 With roaring shouts of laughter. 



Next crawled the Crab, a hideous thing, 



Like Brobdignagian spider ; 

 The Little Lion pranced behind 



As though about to ride her. 



The Virgin ! oh, for shame, for shame, 



A tawdry flaunting quean, 

 You would have sworn she was about 



To make the signs thirteen. 



As for the Scales of course 'tis right 



To put them in the sky, 

 Since justice long from earth has fled 



And sits up pretty high. 



The Scorpion nervous seemed and vexed* 



A stranger to repose* 

 So since no other he could sting, 



He tickled his own nose. 



The Archer, for a centaur meant, 



Half man and half a bear, 

 Held firm his. bow against his breast 



To shoot against the air. 



A thing came next, I know not what* 



He said it was a goat, 

 Two horns it had like coiling ropes 



That twisted round its throat. 



Then followed a black bearded Jew, 

 Whose toil was somewhat vain, 



He poured dry pebbles from a pot, 

 Which people said was rain. 



* Stiver, to stand on end, a favourite term in the Somerset dialeet. 



